Michael Jackson's 2,700-acre ranch got a tax break; officials later found a zoo and rides

Michael Jackson's sprawling Neverland Ranch in California benefited for years from a state agricultural land-preservation programme that reduced its property-tax burden, but the arrangement came under scrutiny after county officials discovered extensive development on parts of the estate. The roughly 2,700-acre ranch in Santa Barbara County included Jackson's home, an amusement park, zoo and other entertainment facilities, while much of the property was also used for cattle grazing. In 2003, county officials said Jackson had failed to obtain required permits or comply with zoning rules for a number of developments built over the previous decade. The dispute eventually led to about 70 acres being removed from the agricultural preservation programme, potentially increasing Jackson's annual property taxes by tens of thousands of dollars.Michael Jackson's 2,700-acre ranch had a tax-saving secretThe secret behind the lower tax bill was California's Williamson Act, a land-preservation programme created to encourage owners to keep agricultural land in farming and compatible open-space uses. Rather than taxing qualifying property according to its full potential development value, the progr...